1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to technologies with regard to an online game that manages characters, which achieve character differentiation through provision of a so-called season character, a status point limit of which is differently set according to when the character appears in a game, thereby allowing characters, which have conventionally been regarded in the same light because of the same status point limit thereof, to be utilized as different characters.
2. Background Art
In recent years, online games have become of great importance in online culture owing to advances in network and computer technologies. Development of online games arouses user demand for various genres of online games, and a wide variety of genres of online games are available at present.
Most current online games are character based. A user may access a game server using a user terminal, and enjoy an online game by selecting and manipulating game characters provided in online games. The characters provided in online games may be free of charge, or may be purchased in game using game points. Assuming that the user possesses a plurality of characters, the user may play a game while changing characters between turns. In an exemplary online game having a character provision function, the user possesses a team consisting of a plurality of characters, and manages the team by individually scouting, employing, or making a contract with each of the plurality of characters constituting the team.
In the case of a character that may be used in a game, although the character may be provided to a user regardless of restrictions on a usage period thereof, the usage period of the character may be limited according to the kind of games. Accordingly, if the usage period of the character expires, it may be necessary to pay character use costs via renewal and to extend the usage period of the corresponding character.
Some online games having a character provision function may provide a special character, which has different status points from those of a general character, in order to increase interest of the user in the games. The special character may be set to have higher status points than those of the general character, or to have special skills that are not given to other characters.
However, either of the general character or the special character has a status point limit that is basically set to a particular value, although skills or status points of the general character or the special character may vary according to the level of the character. Such a character, the status point limit of which is set to a fixed value, may be consequently regarded as having constant status points regardless of a current level of the character. That is, the characters finally have constant ability regardless of the level.
Accordingly, an online game service provider has a burden of developing and providing a novel character to a game, to assist the user who loss interest in existing characters in continuously enjoying games.